es, or imprisonment in the Tower for five
or six years.

It is thus our friends often console us; some of them, from a dark and
gloomy turn of mind, and some of them from the satisfaction many people
feel in meddling with the miseries of others. But it was neither natural
despondency of character, nor any general love of sorrowful scenes or
thoughts, that moved Mrs. Hazleton in the present instance. She had a
peculiar and especial pleasure in the wretchedness of the Hastings
family, and particularly in that of Emily. The charming lady fancied
that if Marlow were free from his engagement with Emily the next day,
and a suitor for her own hand, she would never think of marrying him. I
am not quite sure of that fact, but that is no business of ours, dear
reader, and one thing is certain, that she would have very willingly
sacrificed one half of her whole fortune, nay more, to have placed an
everlasting barrier between Emily and Marlow.

She was thus walking with her dear Emily, as she called her, one day on
that terrace at the back of the house where the memorable conversation
had taken place between Mr. Hastings and Sir John Fenwick, and was
treating Emily to a minute and particular account of the death of the
latter, when Marlow suddenly arrived from London, and entered the house
by the large glass door in front. He found a servant in the hall who
informed him that Mrs. Hastings was still in bed, and that Emily was
walking on the terrace with Mrs. Hazleton. Marlow paused, and considered
for a moment. "Any thing not dishonorable," he said to himself, "is
justifiable to clear up such a mystery;" and passing quietly through the
house into the dining-room, which had one window opening as a door upon
the terrace, he saw his fair Emily and her companion pass along towards
the other end of the walk without being himself perceived. He then
approached the window, and calculating the distances nicely, so as to be
sure that Mrs. Hazleton was fully as far distant from himself as she
could have been from Sir John Fenwick and Mr. Hastings on the evening
when they walked there together, he pronounced her name in an ordinary
tone, somewhat lower than that which Mr. Hastings usually employed.

Mrs. Hazleton instantly started, and looked round towards the spot where
Marlow was now emerging from the room.

The lady could not miss an occasion, and the moment she saw him she
exclaimed, "Dear me! there is Mr. Marlow; I am afraid he brings b